Built between 1868 and 1889, it is one of the city's finest examples of Victorian Gothic architecture, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

There are entrances in the base of the large tower, and in projecting Gothic-arched sections in front of the nave.

The church was designed by architects E. Boyden & Son, and construction began in the spring of 1868.

When the Roman Catholic Diocese of Worcester was established, it was elevated to the cathedral church by Bishop John J. Wright on March 7, 1950.

[3] A statue of St. Francis of Assisi occupies the small courtyard on the side of the church.